# Chapter 61
Thinking this was enough and there was no need to torment Tae Igyeol further—actually, afraid he might throw him off if he went any further—Mo Eunje quickly turned his head toward Ban Hajun and excitedly spoke up. Until then, Ban Hajun had been diligently taking photos in rapid succession.
“And then just like this—kiss! But since these are sample photos, you just need to pretend by covering with your hand. What do you think? We could do this in a flower field with bright sunshine, or in front of the Han River with the sunset in the background.”
“You must have seen this somewhere. The one asking for it and the one doing it… How does it all look so natural? I can’t find any awkwardness or discomfort no matter how hard I look. You guys really are newlyweds, aren’t you?”
“You idiot. It’s just an example, an example.”
After shooting Ban Hajun a contemptuous look, Mo Eunje placed his hands on Tae Igyeol’s shoulders and jumped down to the floor as if leaping off.
“But Tae Igyeol, you surprised me? I thought you’d push my face away with your brute hands and twist me off, but you didn’t.”
“…”
Tae Igyeol didn’t respond at all and just sat back down to continue his meal. It seemed he had decided to ignore him, finding it too bothersome to even tell him to go away or curse at him. Still, he had shown Ban Hajun the pose he wanted, so the objective was achieved. Mo Eunje also sat back down next to Ban Hajun and stuffed his mouth full of omelet.
“But Eunje, you know there are tons of that concept you showed me on the internet, right? We all could have been more comfortable if you just found photos and showed them.”
“Are you kidding? Why pass your work onto me? Looking up references is your job. I was just showing you how naturally good I am at this. What do you think? Bet you can’t find a model better than me, right?”
“No? I think there are tons. And as a model, Tae Igyeol looks way more appealing than you.”
“As if Tae Igyeol would ever do it. Damn, if it were Gye Minho, I could have lifted him up somehow, but that guy is a bit much, isn’t he? Who could possibly lift that huge body? I felt like I was lifting an elephant earlier. Do you think there’s anyone in Korea who could lift him?”
Even as he spoke, Mo Eunje couldn’t hide his disappointment. Of all people, having Tae Igyeol as his partner and having to switch roles felt like he’d sprinkled ashes over a perfectly cooked meal. Sure enough, Ban Hajun shook his head in disapproval.
“Hey, anyway, you’re a no-go. You might not be a celebrity, but you have a face that people who know you know. You need to maintain your image as a novelist.”
“That’s exactly why I’m doing this! ‘I volunteered to model for my friend’s new venture, it was my first time being formally photographed so it was awkward and embarrassing, but it was a fun and meaningful shoot’—that kind of concept.”
“Wow… Acting like you’re helping me out, but in the end, you’re just managing your own image. I wondered why you volunteered for something bothersome. There was a reason, there was definitely a reason. Bzzt! Mo Eunje eliminated!”
“Eliminated? E-li-mi-na-ted? You’ll regret this!”
“Yeah. I’ll just regret it. I like regretting things. You just stick to getting your profile photo taken.”
While Mo Eunje and Ban Hajun were bickering, Tae Igyeol, who had finished his meal first, checked the time on his phone and immediately stood up.
“I’m heading out.”
“Where are you going?”
“My father asked me to come to the company for a bit. Finish eating and clean up neatly.”
“Of course, of course. You’ve provided a place for us poor souls and bestowed us with daily bread, so naturally we’ll clean up. Don’t worry and go.”
Although he hadn’t been enthusiastic, Mo Eunje waved with a smile at Tae Igyeol, who had cooperated diligently despite his reluctance. Tae Igyeol changed into outdoor clothes in the dressing room and left through the front door without delay. Unlike Ban Hajun, who remained motionless at the dining table, Mo Eunje naturally followed him to the entrance to see him off.
“How do you even let him go outside when you’re that affectionate?”
As the front door closed after Tae Igyeol left, Ban Hajun mocked him with a look of distaste.
“What?”
“I’m genuinely curious, why aren’t you two dating? At this point, it wouldn’t be strange at all if you were already married.”
“Hey, you don’t know this, but Tae Igyeol…”
He couldn’t tell him that Tae Igyeol had someone he was in love with, as that was private information. Unless Tae Igyeol mentioned it first himself, it wasn’t his place to say.
“What don’t I know? Tae Igyeol what?”
“Tae Igyeol hates that kind of stuff, so stop teasing. It’s not even funny anymore after hearing it so much.”
Mo Eunje gave Ban Hajun a perfunctory reply as he passed through the kitchen and entered the alpha room used as a study. He pulled “Calm Relationship” from the bookshelf. He had meant to check what writer Kwon Jiyeon had written for Tae Igyeol right when they got home yesterday, but he had completely forgotten because of Ban Hajun’s wailing.
“May you find happiness in a relationship that anyone can see is calm…”
Mo Eunje tilted his head, puzzled by the ambiguous message. Soon, he decided it was just a meaningless wordplay referencing the book title and returned to the kitchen.
“By the way, Mo Eunje, why were you crying yesterday? You seemed fine until the livestream.”
“You saw it? Oh, such loyalty!”
“I was watching it when my dad called and asked what kind of son doesn’t come home on Parents’ Day, said let’s have lunch together, so I went to Ilsan and that’s when all hell broke loose.”
“Ah… Huh? Weren’t you in Ilsan on Sunday?”
“What are you talking about? I was home alone binge-watching dramas on Sunday. My mom’s in her work period so she’d be super sensitive—am I crazy enough to go home? But I did think it was strange when I got the call about having a meal.”
It was strange, just as Ban Hajun said. When he received restaurant gift certificates from Tae Hyunseok and suggested inviting Ban Hajun and Gye Minho, Tae Igyeol had definitely said with certainty that Ban Hajun had gone to Ilsan. He wasn’t sure how this happened. Maybe Tae Igyeol misunderstood something or there was a communication error with Ban Hajun.
“So why were you crying? Do you have something troubling you too?”
“No, I just got suddenly emotional after receiving affectionate advice from my mentor after so long.”
“Well, I’m glad if there’s nothing serious going on.”
“You should worry about yourself.”
“I’m doing better than you, so don’t worry. And if there’s ever anything difficult or troubling that you can’t tell Tae Igyeol about, make sure to tell me. Don’t suffer alone.”
“Geez, Ban Hajun, you bastard. With your soft heart and excessive concern, how will you survive in this harsh world, huh? You just take care of yourself.”
Mo Eunje put Ban Hajun in a headlock and affectionately mussed up his hair.
“Hey, you crazy bastard, stop it!”
Of course, Ban Hajun pushed him away and broke free immediately. Mo Eunje left the irritated Ban Hajun alone and started cleaning up the table by himself. If Ban Hajun hadn’t been sobbing uncontrollably yesterday, he wouldn’t have gotten off so easily, but today he planned to let it slide as an expression of sincere friendship and modest comfort. Whether Ban Hajun knew this or not, he showed no sign of wanting to help and just stretched.
“Ugh, isn’t there anything fun to do? I need something interesting that will really boost my energy.”
“Hmm… Ah! Did you bring your car?”
“I did, but why? I’m not in the mood to go for a drive with you.”
“Why would I go for a drive with you? I can do that with Tae Igyeol.”
Mo Eunje looked at him in disbelief, as if he’d heard something ridiculous.
“Eunje, you… you really… huh…”
Ban Hajun, who had been making eye contact, trailed off and suddenly let out a deep sigh. He muttered to himself with words like “Tae Igyeol,” “saint,” but Mo Eunje couldn’t understand a word of it.
“What are you mumbling about? I’m curious. What were you going to say? Me what?”
“No, I was just thinking how scary habits and lack of self-awareness can be. Ah, why do I suddenly want to scream my lungs out?”
“Why wouldn’t you? Standing at a crossroads in life, it’s natural to feel frustrated. So, want to go get your tarot read?”
“Tarot all of a sudden? You believe in that stuff?”
“I just tried it for the first time the day before yesterday, and it was totally spine-chilling. The place is decorated like a shrine, you know? And the person seems to have some kind of spiritual power. Anyway, it was eerily accurate.”
Even as he spoke, he was troubled by the final advice he’d received. He was told to be vigilant because he might soon experience betrayal severe enough to shake his known world. So he was keeping all his senses—sight, touch, and everything else—alert and on guard.
Since it was something that would happen whether he worried about it or not, something beyond his control, if it had to happen, he hoped at least the impact wouldn’t be too great. He hoped that even if he felt betrayed, he could accept it calmly and pass through it with dignity.
&
“Oh? Hello, Igyeol. It’s been a while.”
When Tae Igyeol came down to the first floor lobby after meeting with his father Tae Hyunseok and the financial director in Ila Actors’ CEO office, he ran into Shin Dael, who was coming out of the planning team’s office.
“What brings you to the company? Did the CEO call you?”
“Yeah. And you?”
“It seems the work on ‘Class Villa’ keeps getting delayed. The planning director had a meeting with the production company yesterday, and he said I could start another film before that.”
“Ah… Have you chosen a project?”
“I need to choose now. My manager oppa will bring me a selection of good ones from the projects that have come to me later.”
He nodded casually, as if to say “is that so.” He didn’t care whether Shin Dael took on a project or not. Tae Igyeol’s gaze was fixed on the poetry collection in Shin Dael’s hand.
“For Fear All Your Beauty Will Become Words”
It was a commemorative teaser poetry collection published by a renowned publishing house for its 100th poet series, compiling works from a variety of 50 poets ranging from newly debuted writers to veterans with over 40 years of experience.
When Mo Eunje was carrying this poetry collection around, marveling at how someone could write such sentences, Tae Igyeol couldn’t understand what aspect he was captivated by. But after his debut, when they became so busy that even casual meetings became difficult, he came to understand. He was afraid that all of Mo Eunje’s beauty might become words.
Mo Eunje poured his whole heart into his writing. Since he had always done his best in his creative work until now, Tae Igyeol had no doubt that he would continue to excel. However, he had overlooked the fact that the process could be grueling and exhausting to the point of sleeplessness.
Like how clear days are followed by cloudy days and days with thunder and lightning, people can’t always be bright either. Although it’s impossible to break the laws of nature, he hadn’t realized this because Mo Eunje had always been like a strong, dazzling sunlight shining brightly. When Mo Eunje finally revealed the burden he’d been carrying about his new work, Tae Igyeol recognized the shadow he had been hiding.
‘When you held my hand, I suddenly felt like I could write anything. It was incredibly comforting. I’m glad you’re my friend.’
Suddenly his chest felt tight and uncomfortable. While he was relieved that Mo Eunje’s emotional burden had lightened somewhat, he sighed knowing that once he began earnestly preparing his new work, he would predictably immerse himself in it completely, and after publication, he would be incredibly busy with various events and activities without a moment to breathe.
